The Cedi appreciation and falling fuel prices are yet to bring significant relief to consumers, as key players in the transport and retail sectors push back against calls to reduce prices. Despite a directive from the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for a 15% cut in transport fares, many commercial drivers are refusing to comply.
The GPRTU, which issued the fare reduction order in response to falling fuel costs, is facing resistance from drivers who argue that high maintenance and spare parts costs make it unsustainable, directing commercial ride users to report drivers, to police for further action.
At the same time, market traders, particularly in food retail, have shown reluctance to lower prices. Although authorities have urged them to reflect the changing macroeconomic conditions in their pricing, many traders say their current stock was bought at higher prices.
Drivers and traders in Ghana have historically reacted swiftly to increases in fuel prices, often raising fares and goods prices immediately, sometimes without consultation with relevant stakeholders. However, reductions are rarely implemented with the same urgency, creating a pattern of one-sided price adjustments that affects consumers and the broader economy.
The situation is further complicated by the response from online ride-hailing drivers who say the GPRTU’s directive does not apply to them. The Ghana Online Drivers Union, which represents drivers operating under platforms like Uber, Bolt, and Yango, said they are not under the authority of the GPRTU and were not involved in discussions that led to the fare cut directive.
“What the GPRTU did does not include us, because we have not been consulted. We are not part of them. We are the users of Uber, Bolt, and Yango. We have a union, but our union is not recognized by the GPRTU or the Trade Union,” said Francis Tengey, President of the Ghana Online Drivers Union.
“Although we have applied since 2021 to be affiliated with TUC, we have not yet gotten that accreditation. So GPRTU giving this directive does not include us. Uber does not know GPRTU, Bolt and Yango do not know GPRTU.
“As unions and representatives of the drivers, we were not part of the meeting that GPRTU and the Ministry of Transport held. We were not represented. So our customers cannot enjoy the 15% reduction on prices,” Tengey said.
The fragmented nature of Ghana’s informal and semi-formal market sectors has once again exposed the limits of top-down policy directives, particularly when enforcement is weak or coordination among stakeholders is lacking. For many commuters and consumers, the benefits of recent economic gains remain theoretical, yet to be felt from the pump or in the market.
